


Heartbeat

by tqpannie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 13:16:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10765008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tqpannie/pseuds/tqpannie
Summary: 5th year after the Department of Mysteries.  What could have happened in the Hosptial wing. A/U after HBP





	Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

Ron Weasley awoke abruptly, drenched in sweat, and shaking. He glanced over at the bed next to him, staring at the pale girl lying motionlessly there. In his dreams, he saw her lying next to him on the floor at the Ministry, but his in his dreams she never made it back to Hogwarts.

His hands shook as he reached for his glass of water, drawing a shuddering breath, he raised the glass to his lips and took and deep swallow. In reality, Dumbledore and the rest of the Order had shown up in time, but it had been too late to block the memory of Hermione crumpled on the floor, and barely breathing. In that instant, seeing her lying there defenseless, and not knowing if she would live, his feelings for Hermione crystallized into an undeniable truth: He loved her. If she died, a part of him would die along with her.

Ron tossed his covers off and gingerly sat up. His arms ached where the brains tentacles had cut into them, and his whole body felt like it had been trampled by a hippogriff. He placed his feet on the floor, shivering at the chill that flooded through his body. He swayed slightly and the room seemed to rotate as he forced himself to cross the small space between their beds. Sighing heavily he lowered himself onto the edge of her bed and took her hand in his. It was warm and he could feel her pulse under his thumb, which relieved him a bit, and yet he was unable to shake the horrific dream he'd had.

"Hermione," he whispered, his voice shaking a bit. "Really, don't you think it's time you got up?" He ran his thumb across the back of her hand.

"If the position were reversed you'd be nagging me to death here."

Ron chuckled, picturing Hermione standing over his bed, hands on her hips, bellowing about how he was a lazy git for not awakening right this instant.

"Hermione, you know back there at the Ministry. . .You were bloody  
amazing." Ron continued, "I know, don't curse, but you really were."

He lifted his hand to brush a stray curl off her cheek. "Actually,  
you're amazing pretty much all of the time, but if you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it."

He watched the rise and fall of her chest, and ran his thumb down the warm skin of her cheek.

"You know you scare me sometimes," he whispered. "How you make me feel scares me too." Ron's voice trailed off. He couldn't seem to get the words he wanted to say out.  
" I miss arguing with you," he chuckled. "I love the way your skin flushes when you get angry with me and how you fight for those you care about."

"Sometimes, I could sit for hours and watch you across the table from me while we play chess, you bite your lip in concentration and it does strange things to my stomach." Ron sighed, "There's not anything about you that doesn't make my stomach flip flop."

"Now, I know you must be thinking that's quite insulting but it's not. . .You want to know something else? A secret?" Ron paused glancing around. "There is no one else I'd take on a Acromantula for."

He bent his head and kissed her gently on the cheek. "So what am I trying to say you're wondering? You would think being the know it all that you are, you'd have figured it out already."

He lifted his hand cupped her cheek. "I guess I'm trying to say that I fancy you."

"Actually, I guess I'm trying to say that I love you. You're my best friend but I love you differently than a best friend." Ron watched closely to see if he'd got a reaction. "Perhaps someday I'll have the nerve to tell you when you can hear me."

He sighed and stroked her hair, "You are just being stubborn, making me suffer. You need to wake up."

Her face remained expressionless and his heart plummeted. "I love you, Hermione Granger. I miss you."

He knew he should get back into his own bed before he got in trouble but he continued to stare, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted from his chest allowing him to breathe freely again.

The relief of confessing how he felt, even if she couldn't hear him was liberating. He was still worried, she looked so pale lying there, and he really couldn't tell whether or not she was even breathing. Glancing around nervously, he took a breath and lowered his head to her chest. Relief flooded through him, and the tears he had kept such a tight control over ran unchecked down his cheeks. The pain of the days before seemed to melt away with each beat of her heart. He pressed his ear more firmly against her and was so intent in listening to the rhythm of her heart that he didn't notice a hand sliding through his hair.

"Ron, I'm all right," a hoarse voice whispered. "Shh, I'm all right."

Tremors racked his body as he lifted his eyes to hers. A smile graced her face and other than a wince of pain that crossed her features she looked the same.

"Hermione," he whispered, but was cut off from finishing when she placed her fingers against his lips.

"I know, Ron," she said as she stroked his cheek with her thumb. "I've always known."

Ron's heart raced in his chest as the feeling of her hand against his cheek sent shockwaves through his body.

"I reckon you do, Hermione," Ron managed before lowering his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. He wasn't prepared for the overwhelming sense of rightness. This was where he belonged, and the only person he belonged with.

Their lips parted and she smiled. "Well, you always said I'm a know it all."


End file.
